1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to articles of footwear, and more particularly, articles of footwear having replaceable ball control elements.
2. Background of the Invention
Many sports require interaction between an athletic shoe upper and another surface. For example, in soccer, rugby, and football, players kick a ball with their foot. The point of contact where the athletic shoe touches the other surface can be referred to as an interaction surface. In addition, in rock climbing, a climber relies on friction from different portions of climbing shoes. In the past, participants in these sports were limited by the shoe they are wearing. Each pair of shoes was limited to have only one type of interaction surface.
Recently, ball control elements have been introduced. Ball control elements can be attached to a shoe to create a shoe that has a modified interaction surface. For example, a soccer style shoe having a ball control element on the forefoot and/or instep can have a refined kicking performance at the forefoot portion. For example, Japanese Patent Number JP9140402, to Saburo, is directed to an athletic shoe having ball control elements that are placed within the upper, however, the athletic shoe of Saburo only has one set of ball control elements.
Some athletic shoes are designed to receive inserts to accommodate changes in running styles or to replace treads. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,859, to Burke et al. discloses a shoe that receives sole inserts. The sole inserts can be replaced and configured for different running styles, like over-pronation. The inserts extend through openings in the sole, and are inserted from outside the shoe.